Woodworking/DIY/Home Improvement Mega Thread

[Cincydawg]

Generally speaking, vinegar over time should clear most mineral deposits.  I'm not sure mixing it with baking soda makes sense, one is acidic, one basic, so you end up with mostly salt in water.  Most mineral deposits are cabornates, like calcium carbonate (from water hardness unless you have RO).  Vinegar dissolves that albeit slowly.

A stronger acid will work faster but may also attack the metal.

I had mixed results with CLR back in the day.

[FearlessF]

soaked a shower head in vinegar for a week or better

don't even know what CLR is - sounds expensive

[utee94]

Generally speaking, vinegar over time should clear most mineral deposits. I'm not sure mixing it with baking soda makes sense, one is acidic, one basic, so you end up with mostly salt in water.  Most mineral deposits are cabornates, like calcium carbonate (from water hardness unless you have RO).  Vinegar dissolves that albeit slowly.

A stronger acid will work faster but may also attack the metal.

I had mixed results with CLR back in the day.

Yeah I also thought about that.  When I was cleaning/restoring my outdoor built-in gas grill, there were several folks that suggested vinegar/baking soda as an effective cleaning solution for removing rust and other buildup.  My immediate thought was that the acid and base would offset each other.  I think perhaps one reason it worked for some folks, is simply due to the abrasive nature of the baking soda.  Scrubbing that in with a scouring pad might have more of a mechanical effect than a chemical one.

But I'm no chemist of course.

[Cincydawg]

CLR® & Tarn-X® | Cleaning Products for Your Home - Fight the Clean Fight®
CLR® & Tarn-X® | Cleaning Products for Your Home - Fight the Clean Fight®

CLR cleaner contains water, lactic acid, and gluconic acid as its main ingredients. Other ingredients include lauramine oxide, PPG-3 butyl ether, and sometimes dyes like Acid Blue 9 and Yellow #5. Lactic acid and gluconic acid are the active components that help dissolve calcium, lime, and rust. 

[847badgerfan]

He's got RO water. He shouldn't have and of that buildup.

[betarhoalphadelta]

He's got RO water. He shouldn't have and of that buildup.

The RO water system is only used for making brewing water. It's a tankless system, so it's not even useful for drinking water unless I specifically gather it into another vessel, due to the slow flow rate. It'd probably take 3 minutes to fill a drinking glass. 

Plus, RO systems are not used for general house water. It'd be ridiculous to use one to feed a giant tank--and also the water heater--supplying a shower.  

[847badgerfan]

The RO water system is only used for making brewing water. It's a tankless system, so it's not even useful for drinking water unless I specifically gather it into another vessel, due to the slow flow rate. It'd probably take 3 minutes to fill a drinking glass.

Plus, RO systems are not used for general house water. It'd be ridiculous to use one to feed a giant tank--and also the water heater--supplying a shower. 

Tons of people around here have whole-house RO systems. They waste a lot. The water here absolutely sucks. I really miss Lake Michigan water.

[Cincydawg]

I thought about adding RO to the kitchen faucet, but it requires maintenance of course, salts to be added back.  Water here is pretty soft and tastes fine to me.  Water in Cincy was pretty hard but tasted OK.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Tons of people around here have whole-house RO systems. They waste a lot. The water here absolutely sucks. I really miss Lake Michigan water.

Hmm... 

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